Stór focal agus frásaí

To be used in a poetry essay answer!

The labourer gives us a personal account of his life as a farm labourer

(Is cinnte go d)tugann an spailpín cuntas pearsanta dúinn ar a shaol mar sclabhaí feirme

A brilliant insight into social and political affairs in Ireland in the eighteenth century

Léargas íontach ar chursaí soisialta agus polaitíochta in Éirinn san ochtú haois déag.

It is worth thinking of the political context of this poem

if fiú smaoineamh ar chómhthéacs polaitiúil an dáin seo

The poet reveals the injustice that the usual people of Ireland felt when the English were reigning this country

Nochtann an file an éagóir a mhothaigh ghnáth-mhuintir na hÉireann nuair a bhí na Sasanaigh i réim sa tír seo

The second class were suffering because they were thrown out of their land

Bhí an dara aicme ag fulaingt toisc gur caitheadh amach óna dtaillte iad

Poverty is seen clearly in this poem

Tá bochtaineacht le feiceáil go soléir sa dan freisin

British oppression

Leatrom na Breataine

The poet refers to this poverty and the Penal Laws that were still in place, to put emphasis on the British oppression

Tagraíonn an file don bhochtaineacht seo agus na Péindlíthe a bhí fós i bhfeidhm chun beim a chuir ar leatrom na Breataine

He blames the English that he has this cruel life

Cuireann se an locht ar an Sasanaigh go bhfuil an saol crua seo aige

The labourer has to walk early in the morning from place to place in search of work

Bíonn ar an spailpín siúl go luatha sa mhaidin ó áit go háit ar thóir oibre

A lot of placenames are mentioned to give context to the reader about the long travel that the labourer does

Luaitear a lán logainmneacha le linn an dáin chun chomthéacs a thabhairt don léitheoir faoin taisteal fada a rinne an spailpín

They give authenticity to the poem

Tugann siad údaracht don dán

According to the poem, the labourer walked from Clonmel to Tipperary, and then to Carrick-on-Suir - altogether almost one hundred kilometres

De réir an dáin, shiúil an spailpín ó Chluain gheal Meala go Tiobraid Árann agus ansin go Carraig na Siúire - ar an iomlán beagnach céad cilimeadair

It is clear that this man had high education and he had the craft of poetry

Is léir go raibh ardoideachais ag an bhfear agus bhí ceird ne filíochta aige freisin

He has a wide vocabulary and he uses poetic language in a skilled way

Tá stóir focail leathan aige agus úsáideann se friotal i mbealach oillte

The long travel isn’t the thing that annoys him the most however, the nobles didn’t show him any respect at all

Níl an taisteal fada an rud is mó a chuir isteach air áfach, ná nar thaispeain na huaisle aon mheas da laghad air

The landlords insulted him with insulting terms

Mhaslaigh na tiarnaí talún é le tearmaí maslach

He wants an escape from the hard life he had doing difficult work

Tá sé ag iarraidh éalú ón saol chrua a bhí aige ag déanamh obair dheacair

As a result of the fragility of this labourer’s life, he is willing to go with the United Irishmen to fight with them and to do his part to change Ireland from the bottom

Mar thoradh an leocháilí is a bhí saol an spailpín seo tá sé toilteanach imeacht leis na nÉireannaigh Aontaithe chun dul i mbun troda leo agus a chuid a dhéanamh chun Éire a athrú ó bhonn

I know that the 1798 rebellion failed, and so it is difficult to read this poem because there is a lack of hope

Tá fhios agam gur theip an Éirí Amach 1798 agus mar sin tá sé deacair a bheith ag léamh an dáin seo mar tá easpa dóchais ann

I would say that, from the political background and personal problems in the poem, that life of the labourer was truly difficult and challenging in Ireland in the time past.

Déarfainn, ó thaobh chulra polaitíochta agus fadhbanna pearsanta sa dán, go raibh saol an spailpín fíor dheacair agus dúshlánach in Éirinn san ám atá caite

Separation

deighilt

Social ladder

Dréimire shóisialta

Vulnerable

Leochaileach

Class (social)

Aicme

Legislative independence

Neamhspleáchas dlíthiúil

is evoked in me

Musclaítear…ionam

human rights

Chearta daonna

This poem affected me massively

Chuaigh an dán seo go mór i bhfeidhm orm